Post #1: Johdanto/Introduction

I never thought that I would be writing in a blog and I also never thought that I would live in Finland.... but I am and I did.  This blog is all about Finland!  I hope that those who come across and follow this blog gain some sense of love and appreciation for Finland from these blog posts.  I lived in Finland for 2 years as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints, and loved it!  I now work for a company doing customer service in Finnish and have many friends who are currently living in Finland, so if you have any questions about Finland or Finnish that are not answered in this blog please comment and I will use those resources to help you find an answer. Though these blog posts may not be long I will be giving accurate information and also my personal perspective of Finland from my own experiences.  I hope you enjoy!

In this post I would also like to give some background on the phrase "Oi Suomi Katso."  Directly translated into English it means "O Finland, behold."  It comes from the famous song "Finlandia Hymni."  This song is quite sacred to Finns because it is about Finland gaining its independence.  It was composed by Jean Sibelius in the late 19th centery, and the words were later added by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi.  Members of The Church of Jesus Chist of Latter-day Saints may recognize this tune from "Be Still My Soul."  Here is a link to the song  and also the words in Finnish and English:

Finlandia Hymni


Lyrics in Finnish

Veikko Antero Koskenniemi, 1940 Oi, Suomi, katso, sinun päiväs' koittaa,
Yön uhka karkoitettu on jo pois,
Ja aamun kiuru kirkkaudessa soittaa,
Kuin itse taivahan kansi sois'.
Yön vallat aamun valkeus jo voittaa,
Sun päiväs' koittaa, oi synnyinmaa.

Oi, nouse, Suomi, nosta korkealle,
Pääs' seppelöimä suurten muistojen.
Oi, nouse, Suomi, näytit maailmalle,
Sa että karkoitit orjuuden,
Ja ettet taipunut sa sorron alle,
On aamus' alkanut, synnyinmaa.

Lyrics in English
Tr. J. Mark Sugars and Frank, 1998 O Finland, behold, your day has now come dawning;
Banished is night, its menace gone with light,
Larks' song again in morning-brightness ringing,
Filling the air to heaven's great height,
And morning's glow, night's darkness overcoming;
Your day is come, o my native land.

O Finland, rise, stand proud, the future facing,
Your valiant deeds recalling, once again;
O Finland rise, in the world's sight erasing
From your fair brows vile slavery's stain.
You were not broken by oppressors ruling;
Your morn has come, o my native land.

This song truly is special.  When I was in Finland myself and a couple other missionaries decided to go caroling. We sang Christmas Carrols as people walked past us in the middle of Helsinki.  We then decided to sing "Finlandia Hymni" and the unreal happened.  People stopped and watched us with reverence.  At the end a couple people even tried to give us money.  I love this song and the story of Finland and am glad that it now holds a special place in my heart!